dizzyness and post natal anxiety

[kathyshack]

Hi, I am knew here but could really do with some help. got baby - 8 weeks old now. i was admitted early to hospial with what thy thought was pre eclampsia. 3 days later induced, lovely baby boy. got home from hospital staeted shaking and blood pressue up again, so kept me in and put on labitalol. horrible medication leaving me dizzy and unable to walk around without holding onto stuff for support. had tingling head and allkinds of side effects. eventually changed medication to something else but had to giveup breast feeding. was still dizzy. finally got off meds about 3 weeks ago but still dizzy. doc now says i have post natal anxiety. saw cousellor who said they couldn't help as it wasdown to physical symptoms making me anxious. doc trried vertigo meds, no help, then migraine meds, still not much better. meanwhile i am cring all the time and don't like being on my own with baby and 3 year old. I haven't got a clue what to do. doc gave me stuff to calm me down over the weekend but the dizzynes is still with me. she says anxiety can cause dizzyness but counsellor said it only causes dizzyness when facing whats making you anxious. I have no idea what iscausing it. I wake for morning feed at 4am and ca't go back off to sleep as a feeling of paniccomes over me when aboutto drop off. Its awful. Its like having a really bad hangover all thetime. Can't cope with it and get anxious then can't eat and cry and then go into panic mode. Had a proper panic attack the other day which was awful. I think I am a bit better than a few weeks ago but still not good. Hate it and don't know what to do next... I have had to move into my mums for the week this week as she seems tobetheonlyperson I wantto bewith at the moment.my poor husband doesn'tknow what to do or say. Its awful and I just want it to getbetter. I can have a good day then the dizzyness comes then i feel sick to the stomach, can't eat, can't sleep, want to cry, don't knoww what to do with mself. I feel like i shouldn't be driving at times as dizzy but have no choice really as husband doesn't. its like the worst hangover ever. Anyone else gone through this?

[reikizen]

You really need to sort this as it sounds like you have post natal depression/anxiety. I am amazed that your GP and counsellor are taking no responsibility for this at all. If it were me I would return to a different GP at the practice (if possible) and take your mum or someone else with you. Write down all your symptoms and do not leave the surgery until the GP has put a plan in place for you, it won't get better on it's own. MIND and the Depression Alliance on the web are also good resources so please contact one of them before speaking to your (useless sounding) GP. Good luck, it is so common and once you have the right treatment you will be fine.

[BaronConker]

I didn't experience the dizziness but your anxiety symptoms sound exactly like what I had, when my baby was 10 weeks. I couldn't eat or sleep and felt anxious and panicky all the time, couldn't bear being alone with the children (this was with my third baby). I had no idea that Postnatal depression could be characterised by panic and anxiety but once I started looking into it I found out that it's incredibly common. The physical symptoms were as if something really was frightening me - constant trips to the loo, butterflies, couldn't sit still etc.
Please go and see a different GP if you can, I eventually needed antidepressants but lots of people get better with just someone to talk to and understand how they're feeling. My DS3 is now 18 months and I've been off my tablets for months, and have been completely fine. I'll never understand why it happened to me but I would have felt a lot better if I'd known there were other people out there who had experienced it and got better.

[kathyshack]

thanks. I had a blood test the other week and they said thyroid glad was fine. She has referred me to a vertigo dizzyness specialist who i see next wed but tbh i amnot confident she is right with this. Feel dizzy now and get tingling in my face. I don't think doc really knows. this si about the 3rd doc i have seen to.
regarding the thyroid gland someone told me that the blood tests can sometimes be wrong, anyone any experience of this? I know Iam suffering with anxiety but i do think it is broughton by the feeling unwell thing and nto having hadno answers for almost 9 weeks now.

[kathyshack]

i wonder if the dizzyess is down to not sleeping for more than 2 hours at a time for such a long time perhaps....

[kathyshack]

actually i was a bit dizzy when they first admitted me before having baby. they said at the time i might have a virus but obviously not....

[kathyshack]

kormaAAAARRRRGGHHcha...
did you have dizzyness with overactive thyroid gland?

[kathyshack]

kormaAAAARRRRGGHHcha... thanks for that. my antie whoworks in a doctors surgery said it can sometimes be missed in a blood test and that thy end up treating for pnd. not sure how true this is.... did they find yours through a blood test? and iff so what was the treatment and how long till you got better?

[yodayoda]

hi kathyshack,
you poor thing, sounds as if you are being pushed from pillar to post with ref to specialists! i had the same symptoms as you not long after i had my son, which ended up being a contributing factor to postnatal anxiety (as well as a different heath issue) i was diagnosed with "Labyrinthitis" think thats how you spell it, its to do with fluid or infection in the inner ear, i was so dizzy all the time and felt sick, as in car sick, or as if i had been on a roller coaster, i walked along the street swaying and haveing to hold onto things, i even got asked if i was drunk when i was trying to buy a cup of tea in marks and spencers cafe!!!!!!!!
look the condition up and see if it fits in with how you are feeling, as i too wasnt diagnosed right away and in the mean time was scared to carry my baby around incase i dropped him! i was given meds which made it worse, and finally went to a vertigo clinic.....it was amazing, just was given a few excersised to do, laying on the bed and stare at an object and then slowly raise your head, it worked and i havent suffered since...it only took 2 weeks to go for good. ask your doc about "labyrinitis".
best of luck and stay on the mums net, its such a help knowing there are lots of us in the same boat, look after yourself xxx

[yodayoda]

ps- other symptoms were, room spinning and feeling as if i was about to pass out even when i was laying down- or being feeling sozzled all the time, oh and looking at a computer screen set me off even worse! hope this helps, but donr be affraid to get a second or even third opinion if you are not happy with your GP- they are not god and you are entitled to see who ever you choose.
good luck sweetie, and i hope you get to the bottom of it so you are able to begin some treatment. xxxxx

[kathyshack]

thanks yodayoda. My doc has referred me to a vertigo specialist and i have an appointment on wed. Although its not with the specialist my doc said it would be. It is at a hearing centre though so hopefully it will be the same tye of doctor. does sound similar to what you say. will let you know how I go on. Thanks again xxx

[yodayoda]

such good news you are at last seeing someone! if its any help i had a too had a hearting test before they gave me the exersises to do, apparently the hearing test is a way of telling if you have the "LABYRINTHITIS". mention to them that you have all they symptoms of this, but im sure your doc has sent you to this clinic as she thinks you have it too.
good luck KATHY. keep us posted as to how you get on. and stay in the mean time stay off the computer as much as you can as the glare of the screen made the room start to spin for me.
keep strong xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx